Purdue Today News (Oct 31, 2023)

When Shawn Huddy moved from Virginia to West Lafayette four years ago, she wasted no time in developing relationships with local nonprofits and community leaders. It wasn’t just a key component of her job — it was something that came naturally to her.

Huddy began her career at Purdue in 2019 as a corporate support manager at WBAA radio, a role that allowed her to interact with volunteers and representatives from eight different Greater Lafayette organizations. Now the senior manager of strategic partnerships at the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS), she continues to make service a central part of her life.

“You go in with the goal of benefiting these organizations, but then you realize how they benefit you,” Huddy says. “When you work with others to put on an event and you pull it off, you have a sense of accomplishment. A sense of peace. A sense of community. You have a common goal, and you’re working toward the same thing. I think that happens in your professional life too, but it doesn’t touch the community in the same way.”

Huddy recently received the 2023 Community Spirit Award from the Management and Professional Staff Advisory Committee and the Campus Support Staff Advisory Committee. Established in 2011, the annual award honors a Purdue staff member who sets a high standard for service, encourages a sustained commitment to civic participation and inspires others to serve in their communities.

Amy Boyle, interim vice president for human resources, presented the award Oct. 10 during a joint meeting of the two committees. Huddy is the 12th Purdue employee to earn the award.

Shawn Huddy is the winner of the 2023 Community Spirit Award. From left: JJ Sadler, Joel Rasmus, Shawn Huddy and Rendi Tharp. (Purdue University photo/Kelsey Lefever) (Purdue University photo/Kelsey Lefever) Download image

Huddy doesn’t hesitate to set aside time to support causes that have given her a sense of purpose in the community. During her lunch hour, she can be found in meetings for the Greater Lafayette Chapter of Indiana Black Expo (GLIBE), for which she serves as a board member. On the weekends, she’s making crafts, cooking or watching a movie with the child that she and her daughter, Bryleigh, mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Lafayette. Her morning and evening commutes to and from work sometimes include a trip to a local vet clinic, where she takes her foster cats and kittens from Loving Heart Animal Shelter to get spayed and neutered.

Even while she’s working, Huddy regularly assists organizations that complement the missions of CERIAS and Purdue. As a member of the Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity, she explores ways to motivate Indiana youth to unleash their passion for cybersecurity and encourage Hoosiers to pursue cybersecurity careers in their home state. She also serves on a steering committee for the University-Industry Demonstration Partnership, offering her expertise as the organization plans a 2024 inaugural conference for universities and industries in the Midwest.

“Shawn is an exceptional employee and dedicated to her work,” said Huddy’s nominator, Joel Rasmus, managing director of CERIAS. “I’m just amazed that she has dedicated so much of her personal time to community service.”

GLIBE was one of the first local organizations Huddy immersed herself in when she moved to West Lafayette. Now in her fourth year of volunteering for the local nonprofit, she finds pride in serving on several of its committees and taking part in events that benefit Greater Lafayette residents.

Whether it’s handing out anywhere from 300 to 350 bags of pens, pencils, composition books and other school supplies to local families during GLIBE’s annual backpack giveaway or organizing GLIBE’s upcoming “Living Our Best Lives” speaker series focusing on mental, emotional, physical and financial health, she is there and ready to work.

“I don’t know that I necessarily set out to leave my mark on the community, but at the end of the day, that’s what I want,” Huddy says. “I know we are having an impact, and that’s important to me even though it’s not why I started volunteering.”

Right alongside Huddy at most of her community pursuits is her daughter, whom Huddy introduced to volunteering at the age of 5. Whether Huddy’s impact is big or small, knowing that she’s raised her daughter to embrace and encourage acts of service is the biggest reward of all.

“I think it’s important for my daughter to understand the concept of giving — not just giving to charity, but giving of yourself,” Huddy says. “I want her to know that the world is so much bigger than our home, our town and her high school. There is a whole world of people who need a shoulder to lean on or a hand to hold, and I want her to embrace that.”